Isle Delfino
- This article is about the main setting of Super Mario Sunshine. For the musical theme, see Isle Delfino (theme).
- "Dolphic Town" redirects here. For the musical theme also known as "Dolpic Town", see Isle Delfino (theme).
| Isle Delfino | |
|---|---|
| |
| First appearance | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) |
| Latest appearance | Minecraft (Nintendo Switch 2) (2026) |
| Capital | Delfino Plaza |
| Inhabitants | Piantas, Nokis, Raccoons, Sunflower Kids |
- “Welcome to the sun-drenched tropical paradise of Isle Delfino! We're so pleased to welcome you to our beautiful home! Come enjoy a natural wonderland to which we've added the world's finest resort facilities, a spectacular amusement park, and succulent seafood! This and more await you on Isle Delfino! Come relax and let us refresh your body and spirit.”
- —Pianta, Super Mario Sunshine
Isle Delfino is a tropical paradise island and vacation resort inhabited by Piantas, Nokis, Yoshis, Sunflower Kids, and Raccoons. Alongside the smaller Pinna Island, it resembles a dolphin, as indicated by its name, which means "dolphin" in Italian. This is a reference to the Nintendo GameCube's preproduction code name, Project Dolphin. Isle Delfino is the main setting of Super Mario Sunshine, and has since reappeared in many spin-offs, including the Mario Kart series.
Many of the locations on Isle Delfino can be clearly seen from some of the other locations on the island, with the exception of Noki Bay, which remains hidden from every location of the island except from the tallest palm trees in Pianta Village.
General information[edit]
In the introductory cutscene of Super Mario Sunshine, a map showing Isle Delfino imples it is located directly on the equator of the planet, as indicated by the red line. The island is also surrounded by other islands, which are also shaped like sea creatures. Among them are islands shaped like an ocean sunfish to the northwest, a sting ray to the west, a crab to the southwest, a small fish to the south, a sea turtle to the east, and a jellyfish to the northeast.
Isle Delfino is protected by the Shine Sprites, guardian spirits resembling Power Stars which gather around the Shine Gate. When the Shine Sprites disappear during Super Mario Sunshine, the Pianta prosecutor claims their own way of life is endangered by the event.[1]
Locations[edit]
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
- Delfino Airstrip – The island's airport.
- Delfino Plaza – The island's largest city and tourist hub.
- Bianco Hills – A village with a lake on the hillside, known for its windmills.
- Ricco Harbor – A busy fishing port located on the outskirts of the island.
- Gelato Beach – A sandy and sunny beach and its surrounding coral reef.
- Pinna Park – An amusement park located on a small island off the coast of Isle Delfino.
- Sirena Beach – An extravagant beach with a hotel on it.
- Noki Bay – A peaceful and serene bay where mainly Nokis live.
- Pianta Village – A village hidden in the mountains, populated mostly by Piantas.
- Corona Mountain – An active volcano next to Delfino Plaza, looking over the entire island.
Mario Kart series[edit]
- Peach Beach – A luxurious beach often visited by Peach.
- Delfino Square – A small port housing an even smaller market.
- Delfino Pier - A battle course with a rising water level mechanic.
- Coconut Mall – A huge, three-story mall filled with Piantas and Miis.
- Sunshine Airport – An airport located among some islets.
Language[edit]
- Main section: List of fictional languages § Super Mario Sunshine
Isle Delfino is heavily associated with the Italian language. In Super Mario Sunshine, all locations on the island are named partially in Italian (entirely in Italian in the German version of the game), and signs reading "BENVENUTO!" can be seen in Delfino Plaza. In addition to Italian, several signs found mainly in Pinna Park and Noki Bay feature a unique script consisting of spirals and wavy lines.
Inhabitants[edit]
Isle Delfino is mainly inhabited by Piantas and Nokis. The Piantas are known as mountain folk, being found in Pianta Village and in Bianco Hills. Nokis, on the other hand, come from the sea and are found mainly in Noki Bay and Pinna Park. Besides them, a few Raccoons can also be found on the island, manning stores. Other friendly creatures found living on the island include the sunflowers in Pinna Park, and colorful birds found in various places. Additionally, a Pianta in Pianta Village keeps Chain Chomplets and a Chain Chomp as pets. Yoshis are said to have also lived on the island in the past.[2][3]
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
Mario, Peach, Toadsworth, and an entourage of Toads take a trip to Isle Delfino in Super Mario Sunshine. However, the island had been covered in graffiti by Shadow Mario, which has led the island citizens to blame Mario himself. This has wrecked havoc on the island, as its protectors, the Shine Sprites, have vanished, casting the island in darkness. Upon arriving, Mario is imprisoned and, with the help of FLUDD, forced to get rid of all the paint on the island and clear his name. Mario and FLUDD then travel to each of Isle Delfino's main locations cleaning up the mess left behind by Shadow Mario. After Mario defeats Shadow Mario, who in reality is Bowser Jr., and Bowser, life on the island returns to normal and Mario, Peach, and their friends enjoy the rest of their stay on Isle Delfino.
Supare Mario Sunshine is the only game where the entire island has appeared. Some of its locations return in future games, however.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Isle Delfino originally appeared on a promotional world map prior to Super Mario Odyssey's release. It does not appear in the final game, however, the roughness and normal map textures used for the globe on The Odyssey still contain the island.[4]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Several courses in the Mario Kart series feature elements based on Isle Delfino.
According to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s UK website, Peach Beach takes place on Isle Delfino, with the award ceremony after any cup also taking place there.[citation needed] That is not true in Mario Kart World, however, as that game's courses take place within the same interconnected area. The UK website of Mario Kart DS also claims Delfino Square takes place on Delfino Plaza.[citation needed] In Mario Kart Wii, both Peach Beach and Delfino Square return in Retro cups, along with a new battle stage called Delfino Pier, which somewhat resembles Delfino Plaza. Additionally, according to Mario Kart Wii''s Prima guide, Coconut Mall takes place on Isle Delfino.[5] The course returns in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour as a classic course, as well as in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the Booster Course Pass. Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also features Sunshine Airport, which, according to the 2022 summer Nintendo Magazine, takes place on Isle Delfino as well.[6]
Mario Power Tennis[edit]
Mario Power Tennis features two courts based on locations in Isle Delfino. The Delfino Plaza Court, located at Bianco Square in Delfino Plaza, and the Gooper Blooper Court, which is set in Ricco Harbor.
Mario Party 6[edit]
The Donkey Kong minigames Banana Shake and Pier Factor in Mario Party 6 take place in areas resembling Delfino Plaza, although the location is not named.
Fortune Street series[edit]
- Main article: Delfino Plaza (board)
Delfino Plaza appears as a board in Itadaki Street DS, also returning in Fortune Street.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
- Main article: Delfino Plaza (stage)
Delfino Plaza also appears as a stage debuting in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It later returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other locations in Isle Delfino can still be seen further in the background.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[edit]
Delfino Plaza appears in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as the location for the Dream Event Snow Day Street Hockey.
Minecraft[edit]
An area based on Isle Delfino appears in the premade world for the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, located on the northeast corner of the map. The area features a recreation of Delfino Plaza and Corona Mountain, along with a plains village where Bianco Hills would be, two Toad Houses, and a large statue of Petey Piranha.
Gallery[edit]
Map from Super Mario Sunshine
Photo of a clay model of Isle Delfino made by Yoshiaki Koizumi for Super Mario Sunshine
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ドルピック島 Dorupikku-tō | Dolphic Island | [?] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 德尔皮克岛 Dé'ěrpíkè Dǎo (Mandarin) Dākyíhpèihhāk Dóu (Cantonese) | Dolphic Island | [7] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 德爾皮克島 Dé'ěrpíkè Dǎo (Mandarin) Dākyíhpèihhāk Dóu (Cantonese) | [8] | ||
| Dutch | Isle Delfino | - | [9] | |
| French | Île Delfino | Isle Delfino | [?] | |
| German | Isla Delfino | Isla Delfino; Spanish for "island" and Italian for "dolphin" | [?] | |
| Italian | Isola Delfina | Dolphin Island | [10] | |
| Korean | 돌픽 섬 Dolpik Seom | Dolphic Island | [?] | |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Isle Delfino | - | [11] | |
| Portuguese (Europe) | Ilha Delfino | Isle Delfino | [12] | |
| Russian | Остров Дельфино Ostrov Del'fino | Isle Delfino | [13] | |
| Spanish | Isla Delfino | Isle Delfino | [?] |
Notes[edit]
- Starshine Beach Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2 resembles Isle Delfino.
References[edit]
- ^ "The accused is charged with polluting our beautiful home and yes, endangering our very way of life." – Pianta prosecutor during the game's intro. Super Mario Sunshine.
- ^ "A long time ago, Yoshis lived on this island as well." – A Blue Toad in Delfino Plaza. Super Mario Sunshine.
- ^ "They used to roam this island freely, but now, they've gone..." – A Noki in Pinna Park during Episode 1. Super Mario Sunshine.
- ^ "It has been, but I can definitely confirm that. It's just barely there on the normal (2nd) and roughness (3rd) maps, but not on the diffuse (1st) or emissive (4th)." – Random Talking Bush (January 17, 2018). https://x.com/RandomTBush/status/953463818981691392. Twitter / X. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ^ Hodgson, David S. J. (April 27, 2008). Mario Kart Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-7615-5970-2. Page 56.
- ^ Nintendo Magazine 2022 Summer (Digital English edition). nintendo.co.jp. Page 18. Archived July 29, 2022, 08:23:52 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ 《超级马力欧64》、《超级马力欧阳光》和《超级马力欧银河》。 3款历代的3D马力欧收录在Nintendo Switch的《超级马力欧 3D 收藏辑》，将于9月18日发售！. Nintendo HK (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ 《超級瑪利歐64》、《超級瑪利歐陽光》和《超級瑪利歐銀河》。3款歷代的3D瑪利歐收錄在Nintendo Switch的《超級瑪利歐 3D 收藏輯》，將於9月18日發售！. Nintendo HK. Retrieved September 3, 2020..
- ^ https://www.nintendo.com/nl-nl/Games/Nintendo-Switch-games/Super-Mario-3D-All-Stars-1832369.html..
- ^ «Isola Delfina» – Guida turistica. Super Mario Sunshine (Italian).
- ^ 2002. Super Mario Sunshine Manual de Instruções. Redmond: Nintendo of America (Brazilian Portuguese). Page 6. (Archived via Internet Archive.)
- ^ Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Nintendo PT. Retrieved October 7, 2025..
- ^ Official Russian Nintendo website. Archived March 31, 2021, 14:29:16 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
